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Anthea's makes one of the best Honey in Greece, as well as organic Almonds, natural beeswax Candles and Prickly Pear products, all of them produced on the Greek island of Kea! By Aspasia Koulyra (Free translation by Antheas's from the original Greek text)

Anthea's started one year ago on the Greek island of Kea. Three people who lived and worked in the city of Athens, Kalliope Georganti, Nikolas Timoleon and Othon Mentis decided to make a big turn in their lives and get involved with farming in Kea, one of the islands of the Cyclades. "We were searching for a long time, for the right cultivation. We wanted to find a plant that would thrive on the island, that wouldn't need much water, and would be beneficial to our health. It is for all these reasons that we chose the Pickly Pears! The rest of our products soon came naturally: our thyme honey, our natural beeswax candles, our lentils, our almonds and our sea salt! Our beehives were added very quickly in our plans, because around our prickle pear fields you will see that nature is in such strong blossom! The surrounding hills are filled with thyme, oregano, savory and various other herbs! Nikolas got fascinated with the idea of making our own honey! He started reading everyday and learning next to very experienced beekeepers who really supported us in our effort and taught us the very challenging work of making honey" says Kalliope.

“So last year we produced our first honey and the chemical analysis we did showed that we had in our hands a very good quality thyme honey (65% thyme). What really fascinates you in the world of bees is the way their society is structured and the way their roles are divided! Working close to them, you realise that its not just the honey that we humans can gain from. Nikolas’ cooperation with an athlete/ beekeeper resulted in us adding in our range Anthea's Bee Elixir, which is a superfood that magically combines all things coming from the bees in a jar! It contains honey, propolis, pollen and royal jelly. One tablespoon of this superfood on a daily basis gives you amazing euphoria and well-being! It is an all natural elixir and the best thing you can put in your body before starting your busy day! It was soon after this that we thought of making our own natural beeswax candles. You light our candle and your entire house smells of honey!" Kalliope has studied Economics and Shipping, and one might think that these degrees have nothing to do with her current project. "I have traveled in almost all parts of Greece and this is how I discovered our country's natural wealth. We still have clean soils and one of the richest floras to be found. I saw,first hand, how powerful nature's growth of aromatic plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables is. So four years ago and at a life changing moment, I felt the need to leave the city for a while. I found as my companions and soul mates in this decision my partner in life Nikolas (he is an Economist), my son Othon and my daughter Veroushka, who truly believed in my dream!”

Our conversation then went on to other Greek producers and the export of Greek products, and Kalliope explained to me how important it is for all small-scale farmers and producers to join forces. "You are much stronger and more competitive if you go abroad with a bigger production rather that trying on your own to sell you smaller quantities of honey. This is something I saw in Italy, and I was really impressed by it. They are very well organised and support each other. As far as I am concerned, I always try to join forces with other people who practice organic farming. Our lentils come from an amazing producer in the Thessalian Plain and our sea salt comes from a friend from the island of Kythera who naturally handpicks the salt from the islets around the Greek island. No chemical is ever used in the process which believe me makes this process hard and time-consuming". As far as the name Anthea's is concerned, Othon explained to me that it was an epithet of the Classical Greek Goddess Hera used mainly in the Aegean and Crete, describing her as the Goddess of fruition and fertility!